Cold Comforts: Fro-Yo To Go

THERE ARE really only two ways to handle summer in the District: You can carefully watch your weight for that August weekend in Rehoboth or you can cool yourself off, stay away from a bikini, and enjoy 1,000 licks of ice cream. But in a shift of compromise, something very unlike Washington these days, there's a way to stay slim and stay cool: frozen low-fat treats.

On opposite sides of Dupont Circle, two new frozen yogurt shops opened up this steamy season. And while both serve frozen treats, they serve up very different vibes.

Mr. Yogato is as fun as it sounds. The space is small, the trash can is the shape of a rocket, and if you can guess a trivia question right while standing in line, your fro-yo is 10 percent off.

Standard flavors are "soft"and "tangy"; pair the latter with chunks of pineapple topping and it's almost like a virgin pina colada. Its soft-serve can be dressed in a variety of ways — sweet (Oreo), healthy (granola), fruity (kiwi) or Italian (olive oil and dried basil are free.)

In a cross between an Apple store and Be Bar, Tangysweet glows with white and iridescence and plays light club music. You almost wonder why a glass of champagne isn't on the menu. Its frozen yogurt tastes a bit more like yogurt than an ice-cream wannabe, and the house flavors are original, green tea and pomegranate. Frozen yogurt in drink form — smoothies — is also available and, with enough toppings, may serve as your fruit allotment for the day.

For those who can't sneak out to Dupont for a mid-afternoon snack, downtown workers can also share in a collective brain freeze. Dickey's Frozen Custard on I Street offers a full-fat version, but its low-fat rendition remains luscious. Basics rule: vanilla, chocolate or swirl with classic berry and chocolate toppings.

Dairy-free. Fat-free. Peanut-and tree-nut-free. Kosher. Those are tough criteria, but Sticky Fingers Bakery delivers.

Order the chocolate soft-serve; at first you'll know it's free from, well, a lot of things, but after a few cooling bites (as your mouth numbs), you'll forget that this is actually missing many of the usual ingredients.

Written by Express contributor Stefanie Gans

» Tangysweet, 2029 P St.NW; 202-822-2066. (Dupont Circle)
» Mr. Yogato, 515 17th St. NW; 202-629-3531. (Dupont Circle)
» Dickey's Frozen Custard, 1710 I St. NW; 202-861-0669. (Farragust West/Farragut North)
» Sticky Fingers Bakery, 11370 Park Road; 202-299-9700. (Mount
Pleasant-Columbia Heights)